Legends
by ProdigyPsycho
Summary: 'Those with magic will either rise to greatness, or become the embodiment of the darkest evils. But one thing is for sure. History will remember them, for they shall be Legends.' DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen. Also, main story takes place a year after Great Thaw.
1. The Pied Piper

Hello. I have been attacked by plot bunnies. Woe is me.

* * *

Hans was nineteen and travelling the world with his brother Hendrik. All in all, a supposedly enjoyable experience. In reality? Not so.

At nineteen, Hans was at a respectable above average height. Hendrik was a full head taller. After his stint in the Army and the heavy exercising schedules it included, it was safe to say that Hendrik was a monster of a man. With his ridiculously huge shoulders and bulging biceps, Hans always felt so fragile before his brother.

It was the same with the most of his brothers. If you didn't qualify for the next heir in line, when you were twenty you were drafted into the army (Hans found it ridiculous that there were actually guidelines for what the King and Queen of the Southern Isles could do with sons after the seventh.) As such, most of his brothers were very well built.

When Hans was smaller he was always terrified of his brothers, they were always towering over him. When Hans was finally finished with puberty and could proudly say that he _was_ taller than some brothers, he was still intimidated by their physicality. It was probably the reason he had such a fondness for books. What he couldn't make up for in muscle mass, he would make for in sheer knowledge. And even with the knowledge of words that his brother sometimes never heard of, he still had that small niggling fear of his brothers. (They could probably rip his arms straight off his torso with their bare hands; a bit like ripping legs off a roast turkey. If not, they would probably slice him like a fish with their swords. That could soon be remedied by him joining the army.)

All his brothers scared him a bit, but Hendrik took the cake. Not only was he the tallest among his brothers, but also the most physically. Hendrik could easily lift Hans with a single hand (Seriously, what was his brother eating?) And along with the big brute look also came the big brute mentality.

Yes, Hendrik could be awe-inspiring and a great leader, but give him a puzzle and watch him leave the room in five minutes with a smug look on his face. If one paid attention, one would find out that it was not because he had solved it, but because he had flung the puzzle out of the window. A few times, when Hans was younger and much more naive and slower, he used to follow the puzzle too. Thankfully, it was mostly out of the ground or first floor window. (At least it helped him learn to always land on his feet)

Hans didn't hate his brother as such, but he never liked him. Familial familiarity was present; it was the familial affection that was missing. The few of his brothers that he could tolerate were generally the older ones, the ones that required a sharp intellect to keep up with the needs of their official positions. (The fact that they were busy enough to not waste their time bullying Hans when he was younger probably helped.)

But as they say, you can't always get what you want, so Hans was stuck travelling the world with Hendrik. At the moment, the two were residing in an inn in a town called Hamelin. It was nearly midnight, and Hans was still at the lounge. A candle in an ornate candle stand was the only source of illumination in the otherwise dark room. Upon the polished oak table on which the candle stood, was a book which had a very interested Hans peering into it.

It was uncomfortable, Hans had to admit to himself (His back was killing him) but the book was too interesting to just close and keep for another day. So Hans, with the incredible mental fortitude he had stayed hunched over the book, completely ignoring his woes (His back was really killing him. It was more effective than any professional assassin.)

The shuffle of footsteps came down from his brother's room, and Hans had to sigh in relief as he straightened his back to greet the emerging person. The woman that exited the room had incredibly messed up hair and haphazard clothes thrown all over her body. Hans didn't visibly react at the lady at all. He just impassively watched her as she scurried around the room searching for her shawl. (It was kept in a bundle on the nearest armchair that Hans kept it on after he found it discarded on the floor after he had come back from a stroll around town after dinner. He hated messes.)

He glanced out of the window. All was still. The moon was hidden by the thick clouds from which snowflakes slowly descended from. One could barely see anything outside. Was she really planning on going back to her house at this time of the night?

He glanced at the girl. She was pretty, he supposed, with that long flowing black hair, those startling blue eyes and those full pouty lips. Her body was one of those possessed by most young maidens, curvy, but not too voluptuous, and not a hint of excess body fat. Very maiden-like, somewhat fragile and definitely not made for the storm outside with the thin fabric of the clothes she wore

"Are you really planning on going outside right now? You'll probably freeze to death. Why don't you take my room? I'll make do with the armchair."

She turned, startled, and looked at Hans with wide eyes. "Y-your Majesty?" she squeaked.

Hans had to blink before finally understanding her surprise. He supposed that not many commoners had the experience of royalty actually showing them kindness, especially for one in a small town like Hamelin. Then he frowned, showing his displeasure at his suggestion being turned down.

"Your shawl," he drawled bending backwards to lift it from the armchair "is woefully thin. I really doubt it will give you much protection from the cold, especially right now. Also, it's snowing right now. Just take my room."

She blushed as Hans scolded her like a mother would scold her child. It was rather comical if one realized that the woman was in her thirties while Hans was not yet in his twenties. She opened her mouth to protest, but Hans cut her off. "No arguments, you're sleeping right here."

She lowered her head, chastised. "Y-yes your Majesty."

"Please, it's Hans." He said waving his hand dismissively. She gave a clumsy half bow muttering something that sounded suspiciously like _Elaine_ before scuttling off to his room.

Hans sighed, cradling his forehead as he went back to his book. Now that Hans had time to think, he found himself appreciating the woman's qualities more and more. Maybe if he wasn't so young...but he wasn't one to change fate.

His choice in friends sometimes confused his family. A few travelling merchants, the baker from Corona, the fisher boys back home were included in the list; a common harlot would fit right in.

-Legends-

 _A short while ago, in a kingdom not so far away, lived a father, a mother and their daughter. They lived a happy life, filled with the simple contentment an easy life had. They were neither too rich, nor too poor. The father was a merchant, travelling for a long time to provide for his family, while the mother took care of the daughter. It wasn't an easy life, but they found their happiness in it._

 _Time passed and the daughter grew. She was beautiful. But a hard life does not a maiden make. She started helping around the village to earn a bit of money to be able to provide for her now ailing parents. Her long blonde hair was bushy and tangled, while it could have been smooth flowing tresses. Her deep blue eyes which might have captivated the hearts of many a man had dulled with the passage of time. In another world, she may have been one of the fairest beauties in the land, but it was not to be._

 _One day, the prince of the land held a ball, for he wished to marry. He invited every girl in the kingdom, and naturally the daughter of the merchant wished to go. If not for the romantic ending, she wished it so that she would be able to provide for her father and mother. But what was she to wear? Her mother, seeing the daughter distraught, visited the wise old lady of the village for advice._

" _Go shower this powder round an elm tree and keep a saucer of milk as an offering." The old woman said. "Perform the ritual and one of the Fey Folk shall be summoned. Give the offering and make your wish."_

" _But remember, what she gives, she takes back tenfold." The old woman warned, but the mother paid no heed. The mother performed the ritual and summoned the fairy. She asked for the fairy to help her daughter win the heart of the prince, so that he may marry her._

 _With a wave of her wand the witch transformed the plain drab clothes of the daughter to stunning and magnificent gown, her scraggly hair into long flowing tresses wrapped around in an elegant bun. The dark circles of weariness under her eyes vanished. With another wave, a pumpkin turned into a magnificent carriage and mice turned to handsome white steeds._

 _The daughter was delighted and went to ball in haste. The prince fell head over heels when he first laid eyes on her. A year later, a healthy boy was born. The prince and the newly named princess fawned and doted over the boy and the kingdom rejoiced._

-Legends-

Hans was now twenty two. After a brief stint in the army, the king felt that he better served the kingdom as a diplomat, travelling far and wide to secure trade deals and alliances with neighbouring kingdoms. But more importantly, his brothers didn't scare him any more (except Francis. Everyone should fear their king.)

No longer was he a gangly boy any more, his years in the army served him well. Now packing some muscle, he did not fall over with a single puff of air (He also learnt to use a sword properly. Good bye self inflicted wounds.)

He was back in Hamelin, the place he had first met Elaine. The two had kept a steady correspondence over the years through regular interchange of letters (For a small village, Hamelin had a rather impressive literacy rate.) The previous letters had indicated that there had been a lot of changes in Elaine's life that she would prefer discussing in person. Luckily enough, on this last tour deal, Hans was close enough to Hamelin to make a small detour.

He walked through the streets of Hamelin, enjoying the afternoon sun warming his skin as he took note of the changes that had taken place in the town. It was much less shabby; the buildings were bigger and much more intricately designed as compared to the last time he was here, a clear sign of prosperity. He rounded a corner and knocked on the small quaint house, hoping that the directions were not wrong,

They weren't. The door was opened by a woman who had dark hair, with a few wisps of white streaking it. Blue eyes widened when they recognised his features. Her lips twisted up in a smile.

"Hans."

Hans allowed his own to curl upwards too. It had been too long.

"Hello Elaine."

Blinking and remembering her manners Elaine scurried out of the way and made a sweeping gesture to invite him to enter. Hans had to let out a chuckle before doing so. She ushered him into a wooden chair, the best she could afford and immediately went in to get a cup of tea. Minutes later, the two were speaking like long lost friends.

His eyes crinkling in amusement, his mouth still kept in an eternal smile he asked "So what did you want to tell me?" Her laughter immediately ceased, her brow knotting in worry. Hans sensed the shift in mood and his own happy temperament shifted into one that was more serious.

"Elaine? What's wrong?"

She took in a few shuddering breaths before giving out a soft whisper. "I got a son."

Hans blinked, uncomprehending for a moment, before giving a wide smile. "This is wonderful!" Startled by the sudden change in mood, Elaine's eyes widened, and smiled a bit (Hans knew for a fact that his smile was infectious.)

"What's his name?" Hans asked, and Elaine gave a soft smile, no doubt thinking of the child answered softly "Hansel. He's named after his uncle."

Hans gave another smile before it hit him. _Hans_ el. The child was named after the uncle. There was no possible way it could be-.

The smile fell and Hans licked his lips. "Hendrik's?"

Elaine froze, realizing her mistake before trying to diffuse the situation. But one glance at Hans' green eyes widened with worry left her incapable of doing anything other than give small nod. But for Hans it was confirmation enough.

Hans sat there in silence, his mind reeling. How was he supposed to react to the fact that _Hendrik_ was a father? How was he supposed to react to fact that the child was named after _him_? But more importantly, how was he to break the news to his brother?

Hendrik hadn't changed much. He still was a brute who either drank himself to sleep some nights or found desperate women to help him do so. Sometimes both. With all those thoughts running in his head, only one thing was he sure of. Hendrik was not capable of being a father.

He glanced up at Elaine, her face drawn tight with worry. Drawing in a steady breath to calm himself he whispered "Can I see him?"

She gave a curt nod before rising to feet, Hans followed her lead. She led him to a nearby room, just past the kitchen, he noted (And judging from the smells coming from inside, Elaine was a damn good cook.)

The room was darker than Hans was used to, but it was to be expected. Not everyone could afford to have expensive chandeliers in their rooms. The darkness was...nice. In all honesty, it was much easier on the eyes. In the bright rooms of the palace, Hans had always felt his eyes over stimulated indoors. Natural light agreed the best with him.

The room had a few drawers a small cupboard a small rocking horse and a small bed in the corner. On the bed was a small bundle wrapped around in a thin sheet with only a mop of red hair exposed.

Without any prompting, Hans approached the bed and sat on the edge and glanced back at Elaine. She was watching nervously, apprehension written all over her features. Hans glanced back at the bundle and slowly pulled off the sheet, so as to not disturb the sleeping child.

The child had a small round face, his eyes closed as he slept on peacefully. His cheeks were round and rosy. The face was the epitome of innocence and naiveté. Swallowing nervously, Hans hesitantly reached out to brush a strand of hair from the child's face.

Hans had never felt much affection for his family. Familiarity was there, respect was a given for a few family members, but never outright affection. But maybe, just maybe, he could learn to do that here. As he continued stroking the child's hair, all of Hans' worries as to how he would break the news of the child to his brother were washed away.

He turned to give Elaine a smile. It was small, but somehow conveyed the amount happiness Hans was currently feeling. It was much more than he had felt in a long time.

He gazed at the two year old once more.

 _Hansel._

He smiled once more as something caught his throat.

 _He was an uncle._

And he couldn't be happier.

-Legend-

 _The child grew up in luxury. All he wanted was given to him. And for the time being, everyone in the land was happy._

 _The child was a thin thing, never fit to be a warrior, at least not the conventional type. The boy was fast, exceedingly so, and was especially talented with his fingers. With the proper training, the child could have been an assassin, with fingers dancing over the hilt of a dagger, cutting people before they were aware of his presence. But the kingdom was not warlike, and so, he wasn't trained._

 _The boy had the curious gift of befriending any animal nearby. The guard hounds that used to snap at anyone that wasn't their master would be reduced to gambolling puppies around the prince. The birds in the trees used to listen attentively as the prince played his flute._

 _The stories also say that the prince had the ability to change the hearts of people. A story goes that once an assassin from an enemy kingdom had come for the king, but was found by the prince. To silence the boy the assassin drew his dagger, but the child asked "Are you here to kill my daddy?" The assassin couldn't bear the loss of innocence in the child which would have been caused by his actions, and so he slunk away, leaving the king unharmed._

 _The boy grew into adolescence, still thin and reedy, and with all the wealth in the world. Whatever he asked of the king, the king would give. Soon his demands got too large for the kingdom to handle, leaving quite a large hole in the finances of the kingdom. The taxes in the land soared sky high, and the citizens grew unruly. Revolts took place all over the land, destabilizing the kingdom. And in one such revolt, the citizens stormed the castle and slew all the royalty, but for one._

 _The disgraced prince fled the kingdom, and was taken in by a settlement of elves. It was here he heard about his mother's deal with the Fey Folk. Her death had just been the beginning of the repayment. The prince was filled with fury at the real cause behind his mother's death, and vowed to slay all the Fey Folk that inhabited the land. From the elves, he learnt how to use the innate magic he had been gifted with, and armed with nothing but the knowledge of magic and a flute he had carved of reed, the prince set off on his quest of purging the Land of all Fairies._

 _And thus began the tale of the Pied Piper._

-Legend-

"I beg of you, please help us. All I wish to do is learn of what has befallen the youngest Prince of the Southern isles. I haven't heard from him in a long time and he is a close personal friend. Just help me and my son get to the Southern Isles and I shall pay you in full."

The Piper gazed dispassionately at the begging woman before him, her six year old child shifting his gaze from his mother to the Piper in alarmed confusion.

She was offering quite a hefty sum of money to him for a standard escort. There didn't seem any inherent dangers to doing the deed. After all, who would want to attack a no-name woman from Hamelin? Rather, it was him in more danger than the woman.

The Piper knew the kind of man the mayor was. Even though all the children had been returned, the Piper had insulted the very town of Hamelin by taking them away in the first place. The mayor would place quite a bounty on his head as soon as possible. The thugs aiming for him might not do anything for fear of hurting a citizen of Hamelin, so as far as the Piper was concerned, she was protecting him instead.

All in all, a huge benefit for him.

"Very well, come along then." He said in the tinkling musical way he spoke as he turned around and started walking, not waiting for the woman get over her shock. The mother quickly scooped up her child and followed the Piper.

* * *

So yeah, that's it. Just a clarification for those who might have found this a bit confusing. Hansel is NOT the Piper. In fact they have no relation whatsoever other than the Piper tried to kidnap the children of Hamelin, Hansel included. The Piper isn't exactly an OC, per se. The Brothers Grimm (heard of em?) wrote a series of fairy tales, the Pied Piper of Hamelin is one of them. In said story, the Piper is the protagonist?main villain (depends on which version of the story you've read). I'm using the version in which the Piper returns all the children after the mayor agrees to pay him the required amount. Not the one in which he kills all the children.  


So yeah, tell me what you think. This is one of those stories in which I haven't planned much of it, so if any of y'all have any ideas about what should happen, please share. And no, this will not have a lot of fluff. I'm horrible at that shiz. It will be present, but not in large amounts.

Hope y'all enjoyed!

-ProdigyPsycho


	2. The Boy who cried Wolf

Hey there! I'm back. 

So yeah, I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed, followed and Favorited this story.

To _Shawn Raven:_

Actually, Hans isn't a complete main character per se. He isn't the main protagonist, nor is he the main villain. But he does play a significant role in the story. His brother is actually one of the main villains. (Hint: I'm implying multiple villains). I'm glad that you took the time to read it and review. That last part though. was it a challenge? It sounded like a challenge. I think I like you already. Hope this lives up to your expectations!

To _TeamArendelle:_

Thanks for reviewing! The prince and the maiden in chapter 1 are the Pied Piper's family. I looked him up online and I couldn't find much of his backstory so I tried creating a sort of story-verse thing to go along with it. Sorry to say, they are not Han's grandparents. I don't think the Piper or Hans are related at all. Still thanks for reviewing.

Oh yeah, BTW, if you are reviewing, do you mind if I PM you the responses? Just add a small footnote in the review if you don't want me to. I'll reply through the chapter then. Y'know, if you do plan on reviewing.

* * *

It was nearing spring, and Kristoff was walking back leisurely towards Arendelle, with Sven in tow. Sunlight shone through the canopy of leaves overhead, forming alternating light and dark patches of green, pale brown and white on the snowy path before him, on which his reindeer took much pleasure in prancing around. Behind him, a slew of other ice harvesters and reindeers followed, each pulling along their very own sled with huge slabs of ice resting precariously on them.

It was a good day, Kristoff supposed. The sky was clear, no snowstorms seemed imminent, and the wild animals had not attacked a single Arendelle citizen in ages. He was also going to be home in less than a day, and that meant Anna. Kristoff felt a smile come across his face. Anna definitely counted as one of the many reasons today was shaping up to be great.

Kristoff felt his reindeer buckle to a stop next to him, causing him to give Sven a strange look. Sven snorted agitatedly and gestured to the ground. Kristoff glanced at it and saw the imprint deep in the clump of snow still remaining. Kristoff frowned as he squatted down to examine it. The footprint looked like a dog's, but it was definitely bigger.

Wolves?

Kristoff groaned. And to think he had though today was going to be good.

-Legends-

 _From beyond the veil of reality, watching his favourite human, the fairy chuckled. The Piper was half dead, but no, his time wasn't yet to come. The fairy still had a host of punishments for the Piper, her favourite plaything. After all, she did have a debt to collect._

 _From behind the scenes, she plotted and planned, slowly turning the few who knew of the Piper against him. And the Piper, the poor fool out in search for her, did not know the fairy herself was following him. From the elves to the Siren's Rocks, to the Town of Hamelin, to his current predicament, the fairy had been behind all of them._

 _If it was any other mortal, the fairy would have put them out of their misery by now, but the Piper was no ordinary mortal. Regular spoiled princes would have died in the coup the Piper had faced. After killing their only apparent source of survival any other shipwrecked soul would have fallen in the darkest pits of despair. After having their talents scorned at by an entire town and being cheated out of the very prize he deserved, any artist would have been filled with hot, bright, but impotent rage._

 _But not the Piper._

 _The Piper was one of those few mortals the fairy had a shred of respect for. Humans ran around waging wars in the name of honour, the piper needed none. They travelled for years looking for acceptance, the Piper needed none. The Piper was one of those few humans that defied cultural norms and petty rules in favour of getting what he wanted, when he wanted. The Piper was a Schemer._

 _Right at the core, the Piper was a passionate being. He loved, he raged, he was blissful, he was saddened, but he never revealed a shred of it. And behind the whimsical facade used to lulling all opponents into a false sense of security, protecting his innermost passions, was a system of logic, always computing probabilities, finding new ways to get the intended result._

 _It was almost as if looking into a mirror. When she wanted something, she would plot and scheme and execute her perfect plan, and she would get her heart's desire. She cared for nought of those that had no personal meaning for her. It was a good thing that those dear to her were dead. After travelling the Earth for centuries, she had finally found someone like her._

 _It was also an uncanny occurrence that he also had the gift for mind magicks too._

 _And so, she would play with her new toy, watch him squirm with every problem she set before him, and amuse herself with admiring his solutions. And when she would grow bored, she would strike and reveal herself in her full glory. And the Piper would know her true nature and tremble._

 _For she was Fairy Gottmutther. And all those beneath her would bow._

-Legends-

Kristoff was armed with nothing but his pickaxe as he slowly edged his way through the forest. The ice harvesters had decided to send a small group of scouts ahead to watch out for the beasts. If they had plodded along, they would have run the risk of running into the entire pack. It would have been complete madness to tempt fate like that.

Kristoff had volunteered along with five other harvesters. He did have some experience in hunting so it was a pretty logical choice. Sven seemed pretty proud of him for thinking once in a while, judging from the wide grin he gave Kristoff. Either that or he wanted Kristoff to die so he could inherit all of Kristoff's money.

Ungrateful reindeer.

Kristoff had shot Sven a dirty look, and Sven seemed to inflate in self righteous anger. The sight of Sven looking personally affronted, as if Kristoff had insulted his mother, was absurd enough to make Kristoff burst into laughter. Soon enough, the two had made up with Kristoff scratching Sven between his antlers and Sven giving a dopey smile with his tongue lolling out.

Kristoff crept between the trees, his sense on high alert for wolves.

A bush rustled, and Kristoff fumbled around a bit before raising his pickaxe as if it was a sword. Yes, he did have a little hunting experience, but that was mostly tracking down animals and using traps. How the hell do you fight a wolf with a pick axe?

The bush rustled again, and Kristoff took in a big gulp of air. The bush shook a bit more violently, and Kristoff took a step back, his eyes fixed on the bush. The tension could be cut with a knife.

His muscles tensed, and a bead of nervous sweat rolled down Kristoff's brow. His heart was racing, and he was silently praying. _I don't wanna die yet! I'm still a virgin! I've never even been stone cold drunk!_ The bush stilled, and out of the bush jumped a rabbit.

It blinked at Kristoff, before scampering away, and Kristoff let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding in. He laughed nervously before turning back, eager to return to the group and report that he found nothing, and promptly stopped breathing again.

A few feet away, its haunches raised, was a wolf, staring straight at Kristoff like he was a sack of meat. Kristoff froze, his hands desperately clutching at the handle of his pick axe. The two stayed there, locked in a staring match, until the wolf gave a predatory grin and snarled. That was all the encouragement Kristoff needed to turn heel and take off like the wind.

He glanced back. The wolf was still chasing him. He ran harder, jumping over a fallen tree branch as nimbly as he could. He glanced at his pickaxe and flung it behind him, hoping it would hit the wolf. No such luck. The wolf immediately avoided the flying pickaxe and continued the chase.

Kristoff continued running, ducking and weaving through the trees, before crashing into the ground, chin-first. He immediately scurried back to his feet and picked up the pace, he heard another growl, much closer to him, and he chanced another look behind, causing his heart to beat faster. A second wolf had joined in the chase.

 _Wonderful_ he thought to himself, but didn't pause to find out why he was most snarky when his life was in danger, instead veering away from his straight line path in a desperate attempt to stay away from the wolves.

He continued running, until he could hear the wolves no more. Shuffling into a stop, Kristoff bent over and started gasping for air. All that running had left him terribly tired. When he finally stopped and glanced around, he noticed two things. One, he was terribly lost. Two, there was a hat on the ground.

It wasn't a particularly fancy hat, just an extremely odd one. It was brown, shaped much like a horrible deformed triangle. Scrunching his nose up, Kristoff wondered what barmy fool would have worn such a monstrosity. He wasn't particularly fashion savvy, but being the sort-of-boyfriend to a princess did tend to affect you.

"Hey mister!"

Kristoff froze, as he bent down to pick up the hat, and glanced at the source of the sound. A kid, red haired with startling blue eyes ran up to him, freckles dotting his cheeks.

"Mr. Piper is hurt! You gotta help him!"

Kristoff didn't know what the boy actually meant, but he did gather that someone was hurt. He immediately forgot about the hat as he hurriedly walked towards the kid who had seemingly popped out of the bushes. Getting the message, the boy immediately turned around and ran in the opposite direction, leading Kristoff towards 'Mr. Piper'.

A few bushes and trees away, was a man lying on his back, eyes closed, and a huge blood stain covering his shirt. Kristoff immediately ran over, and checked for his pulse. A faint beating, he was still alive, but barely so.

Kristoff had no delusions about his medical capacity (he had none) and so, as carefully as he could (like a stonemason working with rocks) he picked up the man and ran back towards his group of ice harvesters, the small boy desperately keeping pace.

And from the shadows, the wolves watched. When out of sight, the spell binding them broke and they ran in the opposite direction.

-Legends-

 _In the beginning, nothing inhabited the Earth other than the Gods. They wished for people, for they were lonely and looked for companionship. And so they created living beings. First, they created humans, creatures fashioned after their own image. They populated the lands, farming, hunting and praising the gods._

 _The humans grew greedy and pillaged and looted the forests around them. The gods were displeased and so they created nature sprites, spirits bound to their elements. The rock trolls, forest elves, desert imps, mermaids for the water. And he gifted them with magic, mastery over their elements._

 _But the sprites were vengeful, and waged war on the humans. The gods were displeased at the slaughter the humans faced. And so he gifted a few of their number with magic of their own to help create balance. But the human magic wielders did not use their magic for peace; instead they used it for the betterment of their own race._

 _The gods grew fretful. Both humans and sprites were now at each other's throats, and now the gods were at the end of their power, whatever could they do? And one of the wiser gods put forth a plan._

 _They created a separate race, one allied to neither the sprites nor the humans. It was them that would uphold the peace. The gods used every bit of their powers in the creation of the fairies, and when it was done, the gods were no more._

 _The fairies stormed the earth, and soon there prevailed peace, upheld by the might of the fairies. But the humans and the sprites grew restless. They began to fear the magic of the fairies. And so they banded together and fought the fairies as one._

 _Soon all the fairies fell, save a few that managed to escape, and the humans and sprites started to live in peace._

 _Some of the fairies went into hiding, not wanting to do anything with the world, some travelled, their tales lost in the history of time, but one fairy remained._

 _She called herself Gottmutther. She was fearsome in the arts of mind control and illusions. She began to think and found the folly of the gods._

 _The gods gave the humans freedom, and there was strife. The gods gave sprites magic and there was war. All their problems could have been solved if they had just taken back. After all, there could be no light without dark. No good without evil. No giving without taking._

 _And so she gave her powers, she gave them freely, but in return she took, and took in interest. Her reputation grew. People would sooner die than take from her, but a few desperate souls paid no heed to the advice of many._

 _And to this day, legend goes that she still travels the Earth, seeking those that have unfulfilled wishes, so she may grant, and take back what is hers._

-Legends-

"You're awake."

Kristoff looked expectantly at the man in his bed. They were in Arendelle; Kristoff had rushed the man into his house and immediately called for a doctor. An hour later, the doctor had emerged from the room in which the man was kept with an exhausted smile on his face. The man would live.

That was two days ago.

The man looked at Kristoff, and Kristoff was mesmerized with his eyes. They were the most startling green. His brown hair dishevelled, his face grimy and groggy, and Kristoff still felt the man could look straight into his soul and find out all his secrets.

The man fixed him with a quizzical look.

"I suppose I am."

His voice wasn't high pitched, but neither was it low. It had some enchanting tinkle to it that made you seem to lose your train of thought as you heard it. Kristoff had to blink a few times before he could recall what he was about to say.

"...Right. You're boy hasn't been eating much these past few days, I'm guessing because he was worried sick for you. He seems like a good kid."

The man's expression grew troubled as he hummed noncommittally, instead seeming lost in his own thoughts. Then he started.

"These past few days?"

"Err...yeah. You've been out for three entire days."

His expression grew grimmer, and Kristoff had to use all his self control to not ask what was troubling him. He knew when not to pry.

"Perchance, did you find a woman with us too? Somewhere in her late thirties? Dark hair? Blue eyes?"

Kristoff scrunched up his nose. "...I don't think so. Was she your wife?"

The man didn't deign to respond; instead he went back into his thoughts. Kristoff had to suppress a wince and felt a stab of pity for the man.

"...I'm sorry for your loss."

The man hummed again, before straightening up and looking Kristoff in the eye.

"Thank you."

"Kristoff."

The man blinked, apparently taken back by the sudden response. Kristoff huffed before deigning to clarify.

"My name is Kristoff Bjorgman. But you can call me Kristoff."

Understanding seemed to dawn on the man. His eyes widened appropriately, and mouthed out an _'Oh'_ in the gaining of this new piece of knowledge.

"Thank you Kristoff."

The man gave a conciliatory tilt of his head. Kristoff waited expectantly, shifting his weight and tapping his foot. The man seemed unperturbed. Finally, Kristoff ventured out.

"And your name is..."

He tailed off, hoping the man would get the question. The man looked on quizzically again before gasping in understanding. He then gave Kristoff an enigmatic smile as his eyes twinkled.

"What is a name? Just something one uses to refer to himself. Hansel," Kristoff assumed that was the kids name "-calls me Mr. Piper, probably because of my talent with the flute." Now his smile was wider, less mysterious, and his eyes crinkled. "But I'm guessing you wouldn't want to call me in such an absurd manner, so you can call me Pipes."

Kristoff blinked, opened his mouth as if to clarify something, and firmly shut it again. He thought for a moment before trying once more.

"...Pipes?"

Kristoff felt incredibly stupid saying it.

"Or Toots. If that's what you prefer."

Kristoff gave 'Pipes' a long dubious look. 'Toots' smiled back. This went on for a minute or so, before Kristoff turned around, shaking his head at 'Pipes', and walking out of the room.

"Well...You need some rest. I'll be going now. Take care of yourself...Toots."

'Toots' smiled saint-like and waved, before realizing something.

"Kristoff? Do you know where my hat is?"

Kristoff turned to give 'Toots' and incredulous look, before pinching the bridge of his nose. Why was it that he seemed to get horrible headaches on days the thought that were good?

* * *

Yeah, so that's it. Tell me what you thought. Just to clarify, the Piper's name is not Toots. Or Pipes. Just saying.

Hope y'all enjoyed it.

Peace out.

-ProdigyPsycho


	3. Elsa and her Fairy Godmother

Hey there! I'm back apparently. I think. Either that, or I've been captured by some government agency which are currently pumping me up with hallucinogens that are making me think I'm back. No matter. Here's chapter 3.

I'd like to thank everyone who had followed/favorite(d?)/reviewed for their support. It really means a lot to me. 

Now on with the story.

* * *

"The kid is pretty messed up." Kristoff admitted to Anna with a grimace. The thing he was forced to witness was pretty gruesome. There was no way the kid wouldn't be messed up after that.

The two of them were walking through the streets of Arendelle at a slow and sedate pace. The two of them just wanted to spend time together, but Anna was curious about the boy and man who were currently in Kristoff's care. The colourful and cheerful atmosphere did not seem to match with the grim topic they were talking about.

"Yesterday, the kid opened up about it. Hansel, his mother and the Piper-" Kristoff didn't feel like breaking the mood by calling him 'Toots' "-were actually on their way to the Southern Isles. Hansel's mother had hired the Piper for protection until they reached their destination. They were camping for the night when a group of thugs ambushed them, and went straight for the Piper, and he was pretty messed up after it. Hansel's mom tried running away with the kid, but some of them restrained her."

Anna's eyes were growing wide with horror as she continued listening to the tale. "After they nearly killed the Piper, they knocked out the kid, I'm guessing for ransom, and then they tried to..." Kristoff voice started to crack, as if in protest against his words. He really didn't know how to phrase the next part properly, but he didn't need to. Anna let out a sharp gasp in understanding.

"Did they-" Anna's voice was weak and shaky, and Kristoff gave a grim nod. Then he started sounding confused. "After that, I'm not really sure as to what happened. According to the Piper, some wolves attacked and killed everyone, except the two of them. And then I found them like that, the Piper with a huge stab wound in his side and the kid scared out of his wits."

Anna pursed her lips in revulsion, and was dangerously close to crying. She leaned against Kristoff, burying her face into his chest. Kristoff put an arm around her and held her close, trying to comfort her, while staying silent.

They continued onwards quietly, ignoring the happy atmosphere around them as they soon were both lost in their thoughts and each other's company.

"There's still one thing I don't get." Anna reared back her head to look up at him. "Why didn't the wolf attack them?" Anna looked mildly perturbed and curious at the same time. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, in every single wolf attack there has been, the wolves take as much as they can, they do have to feed the rest of the pack. There haven't been many wolf attacks recently, so this one should have been a big one, at least a seven wolf hunting pack. There were four or five men according to the Piper, so they could have easily taken every person there or eaten them."

Anna scrunched up her eyebrows, looking on confusedly. "Really? Couldn't they just leave them because they felt pity for them?" Kristoff let out a grim chuckle. "Anna, they're _wolves._ They don't feel pity for anything." Anna opened her mouth to protest, but Kristoff, sensing an argument, was quick to cut her off. "And even if they did feel pity, why did they leave Toots alive? I mean I can get leaving the kid, he was barely injured, but the Piper was in a _really_ bad way when I found him. If there weren't any doctors nearby, killing him would have been a mercy."

Anna looked a bit green with the thought and Kristoff felt extremely guilty for just dumping all of this straight on Anna, but before he could say anything, Anna beat him to the punch. "Maybe he has magic." Kristoff, who was about to say something, was just left there with his mouth open as he tried to think of a way to refute the statement. Anna continued onwards, her eyes shining brightly now. "Think about it! You said the wolves would have killed the Piper normally, but they didn't. And the moment they are ambushed by those thugs, the wolves come and get them? I'm telling you, the man has to have magic!"

Kristoff stared into those large unblinking beautiful eyes, peering straight into his soul searching for approval, as he thought about it. "Well, it's pretty unlikely, but it does seem valid..."

That was all the confirmation she needed, as she let out a whoop of joy and flung herself into Kristoff, spinning him around. "Do you know what this means? Elsa isn't alone! Ohmygosh! Elsa _has_ to meet him. Let's go tell her right now! Or better yet, let's make it a surprise! Let's get him right now!

And before he had time to protest, Anna was dragging Kristoff towards his home

-Legends-

Elsa walked through the halls, a frustrated scowl upon her face. There had just been an Arendelle Council meeting and literally nothing had been accomplished. The first few minutes of it had been relatively peaceful, and then trade agreements came up, and soon there was anarchy.

Half the councillors wanted Elsa to reopen trade relationships with Weselton again; the other half wanted her to wage war on them. One brave little fellow (he was very, _very_ short) piped up that if they were going to war, they should also attack the Southern Isles.

With the first one, she could empathise. Weselton was known for its cotton, and Arendelle didn't have many trade partners who traded mainly fabrics, but she had made a rather public announcement that she wouldn't be having any trade with Weselton.

She had been riding high on adrenaline and was extremely unused to being a monarch when she did so, and as such, for the next few months, Arendelle had to rely mainly on the wool generated locally for clothes. In time, they got newer trade partners for cotton, but it wasn't the same as Weselton's.

But if she retracted the no-trade decree on Weselton, it would make Arendelle look weak, and Elsa couldn't afford that. With the reveal of her ice powers, quite a few kingdoms had responded with less than friendly messages, and the only thing stopping them from outright attacking were, again, her powers. And if Elsa could flash freeze her entire kingdom as an _accident_ , what was stopping her from freezing their armies? Elsa was a peace loving and forgiving person, but if she appeared weak, the others may dismiss her and storm the gates. And as proper peace-loving monarch, she could _not_ allow that to happen.

As for those that wanted war, Elsa wanted nothing but to freeze their mouths shut, if just for a few minutes. She may have had a grudge against the Duke and Hans, but that in no way meant that she should take it out on the countries they hailed from.

 _Those old men are so frustrating!_

Elsa ground her teeth as she continued her stomping through the castle, trying to ward off the migraine that was approaching. Truth be told, she loved her duty as queen, but sometimes she wanted to do nothing more than let down her hair and run off to her ice castle in the mountains. It was a bit like with Anna, Elsa loved her to bits, but Anna's energetic exuberance did end up leaving the Snow Queen completely exhausted at times.

She then realized that she was in Anna's favourite room, the one with all the paintings she used to talk to in her younger days. Elsa remembered that Anna had told her that every time she had felt down; talking to the paintings would cheer her up.

 _Might as well try it._

"I hate council meetings." She muttered to herself, still feeling a bit self conscious. "Those old men think they know everything about Arendelle and me." Her mutterings gained a bit of volume to them now. "Stupid old crones had the gall to ask me create an army of monsters to attack Weselton."

"I can understand." A painting remarked. "Your father used to be quite frustrated after those meetings too."

Elsa let out a shriek.

-Legends-

Kristoff smacked his face again.

"No. Toots will not fall in love with Elsa by just being in her presence. Yes, I admit that your sister is attractive, not as attractive as you though.-" He hastily added, seeing Anna's raised eyebrow, which prompted a fit of giggles from the princess. Kristoff scowled and continued "-but I really don't see him falling for Elsa at first sight."

At Anna's deadpan look, he felt the need to defend himself better.

"Even if they spent a lot of time together, I doubt it would happen. The guy can be extremely vague and frustrating when he wants to be. If he doesn't like you five minutes in his company might give you a headache."

Anna's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?"

"He gave me one."

"Maybe he just gives everyone headaches."

"Nah." Kristoff shook his head. "The kid, Hansel, loves spending time with him. The kid would barely say anything to me, but start chatting non-stop around the Piper."

Anna cooed at the thought. "Aww. Maybe he's really good with the kids. He might be a good dad. Do you think he'd be a good dad? Elsa says thinks that she'd be a horrible mom, but if we can get the two of them together, she wouldn't have to worry!"

Kristoff felt the need to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Anna, we are _not getting them together._ "

Anna scoffed as they reached Kristoff's apartment. The door flew open with a bang and Anna ran into the living room with a huge smile. "Mr. Piper! The fair and beauteous queen of Arendelle would like to..." she trailed off looking round the house. "Kristoff. He isn't here." Kristoff's brow furrowed as he stepped into the house and glanced at the visible bed through his open bedroom door.

He looked into the kitchen too and found no one.

"He's gone..." Kristoff muttered to himself, worried for the man. Even though his wound had mostly healed, the stitches were fresh and could reopen it he strained it too much. Then there was also a risk of it getting infected and-.

Kristoff noticed something else missing too. More specifically, a bag full of something was missing, and all thoughts of the Piper's well being were washed away from Kristoff's mind.

Through gritted teeth he ground out. "And he stole my money too."

-Legends-

"Sorry for startling you." The painting immediately replied as Elsa tried to control her frantically beating heart. The woman in the painting smiled apologetically. 'My name is Gottmutther."

Elsa finally calmed down enough to respond back. "Elsa." she shakily introduced herself. And then she felt mildly stupid, because _how does one just realize they have a magical painting in their palace? Shouldn't they already know that?_ But then again, Elsa didn't know they had these many paintings in the castle. And magical painting or not, it deserved at least some modicum of acknowledgement other than an abrupt introduction. "It's a pleasure meeting you."

The woman shook her head, smiling softly. "The pleasure is all mine." And she inclined her head in respect.

Elsa belatedly realized that that the woman had mentioned something about her father.

"You knew my father?"

The woman gave a soft smile. "Yes. I did." Her eyes appeared to have gained a glassy look as Elsa watched on nervously. "He was a good man, a great king, a man who loved his family more than anything in the world." The woman, Gottmutther, turned to focus on Elsa. "That's how we met actually. He wanted to learn how to help you control your powers. I told him of another magic user, residing far towards the south. He wished to consult with him personally, and so he left for the magic user's location as soon as he could."

Elsa took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as her last memories of her father came to the forefront of her head. Her father's voice drifted clearly through her head, as he was standing right in front of her and saying them again.

"I did warn him of the dangers of such a voyage, but he paid no heed. He felt that you learning to control your powers was more important than his own safety."

" _I'll be back soon Elsa. Don't worry."_

A lone tear escaped.

All her life, ever since Anna's accident, she had known her father as a demanding person. Yes, he had his moments where she felt that he truly was her father, but most of the time where he seemed like a ringmaster forcing a lion into submission. He was a harsh trainer who expected nothing but the best from Elsa.

And now, the painting, Gottmutther, was giving her proof that in his own way, he really had been looking out for her. And she found herself overwhelmed by huge pang of loss she was feeling. She felt hollow, empty, totally void. She missed the times he used to play with her when she was little, she missed the encouragement he gave her every time she failed to control her powers. She missed _her father._

And like the cracking of a dam, the tears sprang up in the corners of her eyes, his every action seen in a new light. And she distantly noticed he never seemed to have any other concern other than her well being when he was around her. His every action, every word, every expression seemed to show the care he had for her.

She began to sob.

And she found herself thinking, that other than his worry for her, he never seemed to have any problems.

 _Wrong. He never showed her any of his other problems._

Her father never let her on the things that troubled him. He always managed to hide the problems he was facing just so that she would be able to focus on the problems she had. When she was younger, she had always thought that it was because he didn't think she could understand them, that she was too young, too naive. But now she got the feeling that he didn't do it just because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't want her to worry for him.

Never in her life did she ever feel more ashamed at the resentment she had towards her father.

It then struck her that Gottmutther was still in the room and she hastily wiped the tears from her eyes as she glanced up at the painting. Gottmutther seemed to look down at her, a small understanding smile upon her face. It was as if Gottmutther knew exactly why Elsa was suddenly _that_ emotional at the mention of her father. It was as if she expected it. There was no judgement in her eyes, just pity for the girl who had lost her father.

And through the tears and the sobs and the crying, Elsa felt something warm spring in her heart.

"Could you..." Elsa ventured out hesitantly "Could you tell me more about him?"

Gottmutther smiled softly, more invitingly, and began to reveal to Elsa tales about her father, some about him as a younger man, some as his days as a king.

It didn't occur to Elsa that she might have been a bit too emotional just then, crying about a father that she had know on some level who loved her. It didn't occur to her Anna never spoke of a painting that talked back. It didn't occur to her that a painting that had been in a room that was visited only by Anna in her younger days couldn't possibly have known _that_ much about the affairs of the kingdom and about her father long before he did become king.

But she was simply too enraptured by the worlds of her Fairy Godmother to care about such trivial things.

-Legends-

The Piper walked out of the store feeling much happier than he felt in days, a bit of yellow creeping into the edges of his vision. The store had promised to have another hat, custom-made for him in a few hours, their business had been slow. With a bit of mental prodding, the Piper had convinced the hatter to move his order a few steps up in the priority list, and give him a small discount for the hat.

The Piper knew that morally, it was a bit a bit on the wrong end of the scale to use emotional manipulation to cheat a shop out of its well earned profit, but one didn't survive years all alone without performing a few morally ambiguous deeds.

Hansel walked alongside him, brushing occasionally against the Piper's leg as he stared at the passing pedestrians with mixture of apprehension and wonder.

The Piper spared him a glance, and took Hansel's small seven year old hand in his as they continued walking through the streets of Arendelle.

The Piper wasn't sure what made him keep Hansel with him, if he was any other child the Piper would have just left him back at the blonde man's house and walked off. After all, his contract was with Hansel's mother, and now that she was gone, the Piper had no need to keep the boy with him.

But something deep within him did not allow him to leave the boy behind. And every time Hansel's eyes would light up as the boy talked to him, the Piper would find tints of warm happy yellow mixing in with the usual calm green he normally saw the world through. In crowds, the thoughts of all the different people around didn't seem to affect him so much as long as Hansel was around.

It might have been affection, it might have been something else, but Hansel had a good effect on him, and that's all that mattered.

The Piper made his way through the streets, looking for a place to lay low for a day or so when he spied the guards eyeing him.

Ah, so word of his robbery had got out.

That wasn't good. The yellow dissipated, giving way to the cold calculating blue and soothing green as he assessed the situation. The guards would definitely be after him. After all, he hadn't stolen a small bit of money (even though he was justified in taking it all.)

He might have been able to bully one of the guards brain into making him think that the Piper was just an innocent passerby, but three? He could try making a run for it, but the Piper seriously doubted that he'd be able to get away towing Hansel along.

The only possible move to make was to split up.

The Piper walked as nonchalantly as he could around the corner, avoiding straight out confronting the soldiers, and as soon as he rounded the turn and was out of sight, at least for a few seconds, he bend down on one knee and looked Hansel straight in the eye.

"Look, Hansel, there are soldiers that are coming after me, so I want you to run." Hansel blinked, and he gave a nervous nod. "Run away as fast as you can, don't try to help me." Hansel opened his mouth in protest, but the Piper silenced him by placing a hand over his mouth. "I can take care of myself, you know. I just want you to run as far as you can, away from me. After that, go back to that Kristoff's place, you remember the man who talks to his moose, right? Go to his house and wait for me. I'll come back for you in a few days. You think you can do that for me?"

Hansel, gave a tight nod, as his eyebrows furrowed as turned to run away. He hesitated and turned back. "You'll come back for me won't you?" he asked in a small voice.

The Piper blinked, obviously not expecting that, and a small smile crept on his face, as a hint of yellow crept into the green and blue before vanishing. The concern was touching. "Of course I will. Now scram."

Hansel gave the Piper a small smile, turned around and started to sprint. The Piper gazed at his retreating figure before a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir?"

The Piper turned and socked the guard who tapped his shoulder straight in the jaw and sprinted away as fast as he could. The stunned guard, who was taken completely by surprise cradled his jaw as he doubled over, his compatriots immediately picked up on the chase.

The Piper winced as his hand continued throbbing as he ran. He made a mental not to himself to never punch a person in the jaw unless he had to ever again.

He rounded a corner and jumped over a crate of fruits, narrowly avoiding the people in his path. The regular beating of feet alerted him to the fact that the guards were right on his heels. He risked a glance back. A lone guard was right behind him.

He frowned. One guard he had punched, who may or may not have joined the chase. The second was right behind him, which led to the question, where was the third?

The answer presented itself as the Piper was knocked off his feet as he tried crossing an alley. Flashes and sparks of orange and white flew across his vision in his surprise as he crashed into a stall, and left a very stunned Piper on his back.

The last thing he saw was a fist, encased in a metal gauntlet, standard for every Arendelle guard, rushing towards his face. A look of comprehension dawned upon the Piper. Ah, there he was.

And with that comforting thought, the Piper fell into the darkness as the fist collided with his temple, knocking the Piper out.

* * *

Not the most understandable of chapters. I know. Anyway, here are the points I'd like to clear up, which might have not been written in the clearest way.

-In the fourth part of this chapter, Elsa's thoughts may have been all over the place. That's because Gottmutther (the painting/fairy from chapter 2) is using her mental powers to influence Elsa's thoughts. Yes, she could probably just take over Elsa, but she didn't. She probably has an ulterior motive. Maybe.

-In part five, the Piper has multiple colors invading his vision at multiple times. They're a direct effect caused by his magic. In chapter two I've made kind of blatant (I think) hints as to what his powers are. I say I think, because since I'm the author I know what I'm talking about (mostly), but I digress. Anyway, because of his powers (mind control, by the way) he is also extremely aware of his own emotions. They manifest themselves as colors that tint his vision. So till date we've got:-

-Green-When he is Calm

-Blue-When he is Thinking.

-Yellow-When he is Happy/feeling Joy.

-White-When he is Surprised. (Not explicitly stated)

-Orange-When he is Curious. (Not explicitly stated)

Yeah, so its a bit like **Synesthesia.** Check it out on Wikipedia, or wherever. Anyway, let me know what y'all thought about this chapter.

Hope y'all enjoyed!

-ProdigyPsycho


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